Winters, California is on the cusp of becoming as much of a foodie destination as any of California’s myriad wine country regions. Yet the Winters region is that new breed of agritourism with much more than wine. Winters’ agricultural bounty yields craft beer, wine, olive oil, cheese, and honey. And its most stunning produce is used to curate brilliant seasonal menus at great local restaurants and Farm Dinners.
With that inspiration, on a recent Friday, I grabbed a couple of friends and headed across the Sacramento River to explore a swath of Yolo County.
Prologue: Local Coffee amongst the Winters Orchards
I find it breathtaking to exit the freeway and suddenly be enveloped by miles of orchards, careening down narrow backroads toward the small agricultural town of Winters. Orchards that once seemed so distant, serving merely as a backdrop to California’s meandering highway, are now transporting me to another world. Yet this laid-back countryside foodie town is only thirty minutes from home.
Winters emerges like a tiny, jam-packed oasis carved out of the orchards. The refurbished vintage Railroad Bridge turned pedestrian path looms dramatically over Putah Creek at the town’s entrance.
Steady Eddy’s Coffeehouse & Roaster
The first order of business was to fuel the day ahead with caffeine at local coffeehouse and coffee roaster Steady Eddy’s.
Before heading into the coffeehouse, we popped by Steady Eddy’s new roasting room where you can pick up freshly roasted coffee beans and purchase coffee-related paraphernalia.
We headed back to the center of town toward Steady Eddy’s cozy flagship coffeehouse. The mid-morning streets were serene and charming. You gotta love a town with an alfresco piano nestled into a sidewalk corner.
Steady Eddy’s is vibrant and friendly… and has some delicious coffee and pastries.
Fortified with coffee, we got back on the road and headed north to our next Yolo destination.
Act 1: A Winters Farm House Oasis
Park Winters
Winding our way down two-lane country roads where the locals drive fast and pass into oncoming traffic, we reached our destination of Park Winters in about ten minutes.
Park Winters is a magical spot nearly hidden off its small country lane behind dramatically tall trees, ensconced in its perfectly coiffed landscape.
The lush grounds of Park Winters are peppered with distinctly landscaped nooks that transition into one another. Walking paths meander from soothing fountains stocked with goldfish to English style gardens with sweeping Yolo vistas.
We wandered a variety of walking paths with plenty of convenient seating along the way to stop and admire the bucolic views.
Park Winters pays great attention to detail with its variety of lounging spaces.
The Farmhouse Inn is not simply beautiful, it also comes with a strong foodie cred. Gorgeous kitchen gardens strewn across its acreage fuel its regular Farm Dinners, which reflect the seasons. The popular dinners have only one seating and sell-out well in advance.
Park Winters boutique B&B has only four rooms and seems mostly to be an event space that hosts such activities as weddings. Not surprising given it’s a gorgeous setting.
Its compelling and abundant gardens will certainly lure me back for a Farm Dinner.
Act 2: From Winters into the Capay Valley
Drawing me further north, though, were olives. I was on a pilgrimage to Seka Hills and my favorite local olive oil. Yolo’s flat country roads segued to northern California’s iconic golden rolling, tree-covered hills of the Capay Valley.
Seka Hills Olive Mill & Tasting Room
Waves of luscious olive orchards signaled our arrival at Seka Hills. I know Seka Hill products from visits to its tasting room at the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg in the Sacramento Delta. Seka Hills has some tasty wines as well, but it’s the olive oil I crave.
The modern tasting room is spacious, scattered with seating areas that invite you to hang-out. Walls of interior windows let you look onto Seka Hills’ olive mill. On a quiet Friday, we practically had Seka Hills all to ourselves.
It was disappointing to learn that the olive oil producer had lost many of its trees to inclimate weather this season. Typically, Seka Hills has oils from several olive varietals. But I was at least in luck that they still had my favorite – the Arbequina varietal. I can never have enough of it on-hand and took home another large bottle, as well as some of their thick and delicious Elderberry Balsamic.
The tasting room has an extensive deli with housemade sandwiches and small plates. We opted to share a light lunch of an enormously robust cheese plate and wine tasting.
Set amongst its olive groves, Seka Hills’ sweeping views are stunning, especially enjoyed from the comfort of its cozy front terrace.
Satiated – but sorry to leave the mesmerizing Capay Valley – we jumped back in the car and began to wend our way back toward Winters.
On the way back, we had time for one more stop to check out one of Capay Valley’s produce farms.
Full Belly Farm
It’s hard to resist a farm called Full Belly, and our instincts didn’t steer us wrong.
Full Belly Farm’s serene setting has a wild yet groomed countryside feel. The owners told us that they also have a few camping spots on the farm. This would be a pretty idyllic spot to wake up in the morning.
Full Belly grows scores of different organic vegetables that it sells in various farmers markets around Northern California. And it also has a modest but beautiful selection of produce in its small onsite shop. Needless to say, we went home with a little produce haul.
Full Belly also does monthly Farm Dinners, although they are popular and tend to sell-out months in advance. As we arrived, Full Belly was preparing for its monthly Pizza Night. The farm setting was so gorgeous that we were tempted to hang around for Pizza, but I already had my heart set on dinner at my favorite Winters restaurant… and we continued our drive back.
Act 3: Afternoon Lounging and Evening Dining in Winters
When we arrived back in Winters, Friday afternoon was bustling. Yet Winters is a chill, laid-back town. We wandered the sidewalks taking in the adorable shops, compelling cafes, and impressive vintage architecture.
A local point of interest is the original Buckhorn steakhouse, which originated in Winters… and it’s one of the best sidewalk dining spots in town.
Turkovich Wines & Winters Cheese
It was time for afternoon wine-tasting and we had our eyes set on the cushy couches of Turkovich Wine’s sidewalk patio.
We were able to curate our own 3-glass tasting from the vineyard’s extensive wine list, which they matched with a tasting of local cheeses from Turkovich’s Winter’s Cheese Company. We chatted with friendly locals and were entertained playing with their dogs.
Now decompressed from the drive, it was time to move on to our next Winters’ adventure.
Preserve Public House
In reality, my Winters visit had been completely choreographed around another opportunity to dine at Preserve. I am always blown away by Preserve’s local approach to refined and creative comfort food dishes.
Preserve is popular so it’s always a good idea to make a reservation on a weekend. This day, however, we were winging-it. Early on a Friday evening Preserve was already packed, but we lucked into three seats at its over-sized bar. I’m always happy to eat at a bar since it can be a much more intimate dining experience.
We grabbed beverages while we perused the seasonal current menu. Preserve has some interesting local craft beers on tap along with some interesting local wine selections.
As the designated driver, however, I wasn’t partaking of these intriguing adult beverages on this trip. But Preserve didn’t disappoint me, and I lucked into an intoxicating Lavender Lemonade that was perfectly tart and floral.
The best way to enjoy Preserve is to go with a group and share as many plates as possible. There are always a few mainstays on the menu – for instance, I’m pretty sure that Preserve’s devoted clientele will never allow the Mac and Cheese and Jalapeño Jelly to leave Preserve’s repertoire.
I for one, don’t think I could ever come to Preserve and not have their Mac and Cheese – it’s probably the best I’ve ever had. It is perfection with its crunchy outer crusty and the creamiest-cheesiest center which is then sent into the stratosphere with that finishing dollop of crème fraiche.
Another Preserve favorite is this starter of Fromage Blanc topped with Preserve’s housemade Jalapeño Jelly.
And there are always a few changing seasonal items that keeps Preserve exciting.
I couldn’t resist trying the Roasted Kabocha Squash with Ricotta, Preserved Lemon, Poached Pear and Red Eye Vinaigrette – an unexpected and compelling flavor combo.
And this cornmeal-crusted Broccolini was one of the most successful riffs on Tempura I’ve ever had, and the Lemon Aioli the perfect accompaniment.
Preserve also has an adjacent deli where you can grab a quick lunch or a picnic take-out. Better yet, you can take home some of their artisan products, like that addictive Jalapeño Jelly.
During our long 12-hour daytrip, we had accomplished a lot of sightseeing in our own backyard. But it was time to make the half-hour drive back to reality.
Epilogue: Winters Nightlife
The Palms Playhouse
A week later, I was compelled to head back to Winters to see a concert at the Palms Playhouse.
I found another adventurous friend, and on a Saturday evening we made our way to Winters in time for an early pre-concert dinner.
This outing gave me the opportunity to check out a new Winters’ spot, the tapas-focused Ficelle. It was difficult to choose from the abundance of tasty tapas options, but waiting in line gave us enough time to decide. We ordered at the counter and headed out to the deck with housemade Sangria to await our order.
As a fan of The Roches, I was excited to see Suzzy Roche and her daughter Lucy Wainwright perform in the intimate setting of the Palms Playhouse.
Lucy Wainwright perform in the intimate setting of the Palms Playhouse.
The upstairs venue is more of a hall style setting, set up with chairs casually strung into rows and a convenient bar situated at the back of the room.
At night, Winters’ streets, strung with ambient lighting, provide a whole other experience.
In about the last twenty years, the Winters’ downtown has doubled in size. The challenge for this charming town will be to keep that perfect balance of charming agriturismo allure without becoming over-touristed. In the meantime, I look forward to visiting often for great good, music, and festivals.
